How to Clean Candle Soot from Ceiling

How to Clean Candle Soot from Ceiling

It can be unsightly and frustrating to see candle soot on your ceiling. These stains can be tricky to remove if you aren’t sure what you are doing. Most cleaning solutions will just move the soot around instead of removing it, so what are you supposed to do?

You can safely remove candle soot from your ceiling if you follow the right instructions. You will need a ladder, a vacuum, a grease cleaner, and a sponge. Spray the grease cleaner and use the sponge to work it into your ceiling. 

You will need to be really cautious when you are dealing with staining on your ceiling. There is always the chance of soot and chemicals falling into your face and getting on your skin, so be sure to properly protect yourself to avoid any injury. 

How Do You Clean Soot off Walls and Ceilings?

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When you are dealing with soot removal on your ceiling, the first thing you should do is make sure you have proper ventilation in the room. It will be best to open a window, leave the door open, and have a fan running on the highest setting. You will also want to protect the floor by placing a drop cloth under the area where you are working.

Before you even touch any chemicals, put on a pair of gloves, a mask, long clothing, and eye protection. The best gloves will be thick cleaning gloves, not regular latex gloves. For your safety, you will also want to grab a sturdy ladder that can help you reach the ceiling. Avoid any ladders that look shaky or have missing steps.

Before you start the cleaning process, you will want to vacuum the ceiling. This will remove any dust or soot that is on the surface of the ceiling and make it easier to clean. Vacuuming will greatly decrease your cleaning time.

When you are finished vacuuming, you can wipe away any remaining dust with a towel or sponge. There are some sponges that are specifically designed to remove soot and smoke stains that you can find at your local hardware store.

Next, you will spray the soot spot with grease cleaner. If the stain is really small, you can start with a degreasing dish soap. On larger soot stains, you will need a stronger solution like trisodium phosphate. This chemical has the ability to quickly cut through soot, grease, and stains.

We recommend using a grease cleaner like Easy Off. Click here to check the current price and availability on Amazon.

After you have applied the grease cleaner to the stain, take a cloth or sponge and wipe the solution off the ceiling. Use firm, even strokes. If the spot is large, there is a potential that you will need multiple cloths to complete the job.

You might need to repeat this process a few times before the stain is completely removed. Spray the grease cleaner and wipe it off as many times as necessary until you don’t see the stain anymore.

If the candle soot mark is on your wall, you will also want to start by making sure you have plenty of ventilation and protection when you are working. You will use a dry-cleaning sponge that is specifically designed to absorb residues. Wipe the soot stain with the sponge using firm strokes.

If needed, cut off sections of the sponge that are full of soot with a utility knife. This will allow you to keep using your dry sponge until the stain is completely removed. After the soot stain is gone, you can treat the wall with a degreaser as an extra precaution.

You can do this with a degreasing dish soap or trisodium phosphate. Soak a clean sponge with the degreasing cleaner and wring it out. Clean the wall with the sponge, rinse the wall with clean water, then dry the wall with a towel. 

Will Magic Eraser Remove Soot?

Magic Erasers are made of a foam called melamine that works like an extremely fine sandpaper. You might have some luck removing small soot stains with a Magic Eraser, but it’s not likely to work on larger soot stains. You can always give it a shot, and if it doesn’t work you can try something different.

Preventing Future Candle Soot Stains

Now that you have removed the candle soot stains from your ceiling and walls, you will want to prevent new stains from forming. Luckily, there are several things you can do going forward to prevent soot stains from your candles.

First, you can try to use a lid or shade to protect the flame. Without protection, the flame will flicker and create the black smoke that makes soot. You will want to use a lid designed to be on the candle while it is burning to prevent soot from making its way to your ceiling. 

You will also find that you can prevent soot by trimming your wick to about a quarter of an inch. A shorter wick will prevent a breeze from catching your flame and creating black smoke. A flickering flame is much more likely to generate soot than a stable flame.

It is also helpful to check your candle while it is burning. If you notice that the wick is starting to look like a mushroom, blow out the candle and snip the wick. You can then relight it and you shouldn’t see any soot coming from the candle anymore. Always burn your candles away from your wall to prevent soot marks from forming. 

Final Thoughts

Candle soot marks are extremely discouraging and unsightly. If you know what you are doing and properly follow the steps, you shouldn’t have any problems removing the soot marks from your ceiling or walls. Always protect yourself when you are cleaning soot marks by wearing eye protection, gloves, and long clothes.

For the best results, you will want to use a grease cleaner. These are really good at cutting through soot and grease, so you should be able to remove the stain in no time. You might need to repeat the process a few times depending on the size of the stain. 

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